Post navigation

Featured

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Personnel Selection Officer’ Association (PSOA). The Association is comprised of both Regular and Reserve Force serving and retired PSOs, as well as various associate members who share common professional interests and backgrounds.

After a short but graceful struggle with cancer, Dr. Robert William Walker died on December 4th, 2018 beside his loving family. Bob was most proud of two things, his “girls” (his wife, Colleen Walker, his daughter, Kimothy Walker, and his granddaughter Kyra Lambert), and his 50 years of public service in the military and the RCMP.

Bob is survived by two siblings, Patricia Bannister and Gordon Walker, and their beloved spouses Robin Bannister and Janet Walker, in addition to his niece, two nephews and a grand-nephew.

Most of all he loved his wife, Colleen, his partner of 52 years.

Bob started his career with the military while still in his teens and attended RRMC, RMC and eventually graduated from Queens University with an MA and Ph.D. Bob was fiercely proud of RMC, Kingston and his university.

His military career took his family from Victoria to Kingston and on to Toronto, Winnipeg and Ottawa, where he joined the RCMP at the Canadian Police College before returning to the military as a civilian back at Kingston’s Canadian Forces Leadership Institute at RMC

Bob was one of the kindest men who ever walked the planet and will be deeply missed by those who knew him best.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his name to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation www.ottawacancer.ca or Lions Foundation of Canada Guide Dogs (Autism Program) www.dogguides.com

It is with great sadness that I am advising you that Colleen Okros passed away unexpectedly last weekend from an undiagnosed illness. Colleen was the spouse of our former Branch Advisor, Capt(N) ret’d Al Okros. In addition to being a loving and steady presence to Al, she was always a great supporter of the PSel Branch. Given that many senior PSOs knew Al and Colleen, I am providing the details in terms of the service next week in case you wish to attend or provide flowers or a donation. Arrangements have been made at the Cardinal Funeral Home 366 Bathurst, Toronto (just north of Dundas) with visitation on Monday 5-8 PM and service on Tues at 1100. There will be a post-service reception at 801 Bay Street Tues afternoon. Please note that the Funeral Home is in downtown Toronto so onsite parking is limited (there are parking garages nearby and lots of taxis). In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to the Humane Society or Breast Cancer research.

I submit as a reflection from my past leading to a happy announcement in the present to convey as appropriate.

My career as a PSel officer began in 1980 and lasted 15 rewarding years. I served three back to back tours in Summerside, PEI, first as an Air Nav and then as an Air Operations Controller and finally as BPSO and BTrainIng and Education O. I was then “summoned” from this fair isle to NDHQ Ottawa to assist with the conclusion of the Women’s Trials (SWINTER for short) and thereafter as ABPSO at CFB Ottawa. I was ordered back to a field posting at CFB Trenton where I experienced my most fulfilling tour as BPSO. Beckoned again to Ottawa, I served as PSel consultant for social and economic analysts within DND followed by a brief team position in Military Occupational Structures. After 31 years of service, I elected a voluntary buy out. Perhaps, one of my greatest career achievements was to be recognized by my peers with the annual SCAN award. This, along with the privilege of serving with some fine dedicated professionals and comrades, has left a very positive impact on my life both then and now and for the future. I proudly stand with all my fellow PSel officers in giving thanks for the great service you provide to members of the CF.

As I look back on my career, I wanted to acknowledge how much it played a significant part of who I have become, not the least of which is to celebrate 50 years of marriage to my enduring love of my life, Karen, on Aug 24, 2018

Richard Gilman, Capt retired

Ottawa

Response from Col Noonan

Rich, it is great to hear from you after so many years and congratulations on your upcoming 50th wedding anniversary, which is remarkable. It is because of dedicated PSOs like you that our Branch continues to exist and thrive as we are building on the foundation that you and a small number of other committed individuals built 40 years ago. You will be happy to know that last year we were awarded a permanent PSO position as the Director of Personnel Generation Requirements (DPGR) which now includes the occupation/job analysis studies that you worked on, along with oversight of the selection standards and BPSO technical net, and overall management of the CAF Strategic Intake Plan (SIP). Our F/W/BPSOs continue to be heavily relied upon for vocational counselling, education upgrading and individual assessments, while our SCAN section has now become part of a larger initiative that has recently seen the stand-up of Transition Group, headed by a BGen and where we have a LCol position, several Maj positions and a host of distributed Capt positions to better care for the transition of all members, whether voluntary, medical or at CRA. You and Maj (ret’d) Terry Christopher, amongst others, would be quite proud of all the areas in which we’re now embarking in terms of transition services, policy and programs. In any event, thanks for your note as you took me down memory lane for a wonderful minute but also it reminded me that we are still integral to all of these functions in helping the CAF remain an outstanding organization. All the best to you and your wife this summer and on your anniversary.

It is with sadness that we inform you of SLt Kellermann-Thompson’s loss of his mother who passed away on the afternoon of June 13, 2018. On behalf of the PSOA we would like to send our deepest condolences to SLt Kellermann-Thompson and family.

Our former-PSO friend and colleague Allan Carty is retiring this month from his PSel+1 career (in the Canada Revenue Agency). The forwarded email from Denise Cressman of the CRA includes an invitation to all who knew Allan to attend a gathering to commemorate his 41 years of service to Canada.

Cheers guys.

Martin Hankes-Drielsma

PSO (Retired)

Our dear friend and colleague Allan Carty will be retiring in June. Please join us for a farewell gathering to commemorate his 41 years of service as a public servant at the Glue Pot PubonTuesday, June 19, 2018.

We will be putting together a memory book for Allan filled with well wishes. To add a message, please visit Claire Schryer’s desk located on the 3rd floor. We will also be collecting contributions for a farewell gift. Thank you!

On 1 May 18, Cynthia Gagnon was promoted to the rank of Capt by CFB Kingston B Comd, Col J.G.P. Lemyre, assisted by the B Chief, CWO J.C.L. Aman and in the presence of the BPSS personnel. Capt Gagnon will be posted this summer to RMC Success Center. Congratulations Cynthia and we wish you good luck in your new functions.

1. COMMANDER (CDR) FRASER BOYES WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ON 9 APRIL, 2018, AFTER OVER 30 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE.

2. CDR BOYES IS FROM WINNIPEG, MANITOBA AND INITIALLY JOINED THE PRIMARY RESERVE FOR THE SUMMER OF 1986 AS AN INFANTRYMAN WITH THE GOVERNOR GENERAL S FOOT GUARDS IN OTTAWA. UPON RETURN TO WINNIPEG AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, AND LURED BY THE PROMISE THAT PRACTICAL TRAINING DURING THE WINTER WOULD TAKE PLACE IN VICTORIA, BC AS OPPOSED TO DUNDURN, SK OR SHILO, MB, HE COMMENCED THE PROCESS TO JOIN THE NAVAL RESERVE AS A MARS OFFICER, ENROLLING IN DECEMBER 1987. AFTER COMPLETION OF HIS MARS TRAINING, HE SERVED IN VARIOUS MINOR WAR VESSELS PRIOR TO MOVING ONTO FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A MILITARY CAREER COUNSELLOR AT CANADIAN FORCES RECRUITING CENTRE (CFRC) WINNIPEG IN DEC 1993 WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL HIS COMPONENT TRANSFER TO THE REGULAR FORCE AS A PERSONNEL SELECTION OFFICER (PSO) IN MAY 1997. POSTINGS HAVE INCLUDED EMPLOYMENT AS THE UNIT PERSONNEL SELECTION OFFICER AT CFRC S WINNIPEG AND HALIFAX, WING PSO AND COORDINATOR OF THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTRE AT 17 WING WINNIPEG, BASE PSO AT CFB ESQUIMALT, AND SENIOR STAFF POSITIONS AT NATIONAL DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS IN OTTAWA AS THE NAVY COMMAND PERSONNEL SELECTION OFFICER, STAFF OFFICER WITHIN THE DIRECTOR PERSONNEL GENERATION REQUIREMENTS (DPGR), THE SECTION HEAD FOR THE IN-SERVICE SELECTION SECTION OF THE DIRECTOR MILITARY CAREER POLICY AND GRIEVANCES (DMCPG) AND THE SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT SECTION HEAD WITHIN THE DIRECTOR GENERAL MILITARY PERSONNEL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS (DGMPRA). IN ADDITION TO THESE POSTINGS, HE WAS SELECTED FOR POST-GRADUATE TRAINING AT SAINT MARY S UNIVERSITY WHERE HE COMPLETED A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY IN 2005 AND HIS GREY HAIR GAVE HIM UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE FACULTY LOUNGE. A CAREER HIGHLIGHT WAS HIS DEPLOYMENT TO HAITI IN 2011 ON OP HAMLET WHERE HE WAS THE CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATION (CIMIC) STAFF OFFICER FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSON (IDP) CAMPS AT THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS.

3. CDR BOYES IS EXTREMELY THANKFUL FOR THE REWARDING EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT SERVICE IN THE CAF AFFORDED HIM AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE FRIENDSHIPS HE MADE ALONG THE WAY. LIKE MANY BEFORE HIM, UNDER THE GUISE OF RETIREMENT, HE WILL REMAIN IN OTTAWA WITH HIS WIFE, LILA, AND TWO SONS, MICHAEL AND NATHANIEL, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE CAF AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE WITH DGMPRA.

4. ALL FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ARE INVITED TO JOIN CDR BOYES FOR A DEPART WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY TO BE HELD ON FRIDAY, 6 APRIL 2018 COMMENCING 1300HRS AT 3 BREWERS KANATA, 565 KANATA AVE, KANATA, ON. THOSE WISHING TO ATTEND ARE ASKED TO CONTACT MAJOR KATHARINE BERLINGUETTE NO LATER THAN 30 MARCH 2018 AT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL: MICHELLE.BERLINGUETTE@FORCES.GC.CA.

5. BEST WISHES, ANECDOTES, AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE WELCOME AND MAY BE SENT TO MAJOR BERLINGUETTE BEFORE 16 MARCH 2018.